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Original poster

Womens racing bike.

34 replies

magicgirl74 · 07/03/2015 18:19

Iv been looking on and off for a few years for a racing bike with a womens specific frame like the one i had as a teenager(i had a lovely raleigh wisp)but with little success.iv looked at second hand on ebay and they are always miles and miles away with no option of delivery or the frame size is to big( im 5ft 1 )iv seen a new one by bobbin bikes called a luna which is lovely but doesnt seem to be available anywhere has anyone seen anything similar?

OP posts:
ragged · 07/03/2015 18:23

Okay, that Luna isn't for racing, it might be alright for fun road rides.
Budget is around £550, right? And you want a woman's traditional frame, not a men's crossbar?
Where and how hilly and how often will you ride this hypothetical bike?

Original poster
magicgirl74 · 07/03/2015 18:37

Couple of hilly bits and i ride a couple of times a week

OP posts:
VivaLeBeaver · 07/03/2015 18:41

I'm 5ft2 and struggled although my requirements were slightly different as I wanted a bike which I could fit a rack on for touring and also wanted sissy brakes. I ended up with a Specalized Tricross.

For a more road only bike Specialized do quite a few women specific road bikes which look good.

VivaLeBeaver · 07/03/2015 18:43

this

Thistledew · 07/03/2015 18:55

Could you say more about what sort of riding you are doing and/or want to be doing?

There are road bikes that are made to be "women's specific", which means that the proportions are slightly different from standard models: women tend to have shorter bodies and arms than men. These will look very like a 'men's' bike with the straight cross bar. They may or may not suit you, depending how long you are in the arms and body.

If you are riding for more than an hour or so at a time, then I would look at something that looks like what you might imagine to be a 'men's' bike. The one you linked to is not really suitable for serious cycling as the style of the frame will be more inefficient in terms of energy transfer. It is also likely to be heavy, and the components (the moving parts) are fairly low-end in terms of quality (although perfectly good for light riding).

pootlebug · 07/03/2015 19:42

Where are you? I have a women-specific road bike that I probably should sell as I don't really need a road bike and a tri bike. It's like this www.evanscycles.com/products/jamis/xenith-endura-sport-2012-road-bike-ec031746#features

I'm 5'5 and it's too small for me really (got it on ebay) - which is another reason it should go.

(hoping I'm allowed to say this and don't get in big trouble).

BuggersMuddle · 07/03/2015 19:58

Yes as Thistle says more info would be useful. There are trade-ups that are worth it if the budget is flexible and others that are less so, but it'll depend what you're looking to do.

Having said that, can I chip in with the Trek Lexa WSD as a possibility?

I have another of their WSD road bikes, am also fairly short and love the fit. (Don't own a Lexa, but have had a go and the geometry is virtually identical to the one I do own).

it's certainly racier than the one you linked to, but it also has rack & mudguard mounts if you did want to e.g. commute with panniers.

I have had a Dolce and it was fine, but it still has a fairly long top tube for a WSD IMO. I rode mine for a long time but still found it a bit 'reachy'.

Best thing though (barring a bike fit) would be to try a couple out. Places like Evans cycles are generally happy to get in a couple of models for you to compare.

FelixFelix · 07/03/2015 20:01

Where abouts in the county are you? (Assuming you're in the UK of course!). Do you have a local bike shop who could help you find what you're looking for?

Original poster
magicgirl74 · 07/03/2015 23:42

I live in a village and the roads can get a bit pot holey,hubby thinks i would be better with a mountain bike as there are no foot paths and there is a lot of farm traffic.I dont go great distances usually between 5 and 10 miles but i find my current bike really uncomfortable i end up with back ache,sore hands and a sore bum.Im reasonably fit for my age(40 years)iv looked at second hand but they are usually to big for me as im 5ft1 and have short legs 27 inch inside leg and i find bike shops intimidating i can spend up to £700 im really unsure what sort of bike would be best ??

OP posts:
Thistledew · 07/03/2015 23:58

I would recommend that you go for a Cyclocross or 'Adventure Road Bike'.

They are similar to what you have in mind as a 'racing bike' but are a bit more rugged. They will come with thicker tyres which will cope with the potholes, but will be lighter and more comfortable for longer rides than a mountain bike.

You really need to sit on some to see what is comfortable for you, but don't feel that you need to look specifically for a 'women's bike'. I would recommend that you go to a branch of Evans - they cater for cyclists of all experience and you shouldn't find them intimidating at all. The same should be true of your local independent shop, but I suppose they are much more an unknown quantity.

Some branches of Evans are better in terms of their knowledgeability than others, but they are usually fairly decent, and more likely to know what they are doing than Halfords.

If you don't know a great deal about bikes then I would avoid buying one on line, especially second hand, as you will have no idea what to look for in terms of whether the bike has been properly maintained or if it is in a dangerous condition.

VivaLeBeaver · 08/03/2015 08:02

Don't get a mountain bike, they're harder work to pedal on roads.

Get either a cyclocross bike like the Specialized Tricross or get a decent spec hybrid bike. Depends if you want drop handlebars or not. Drops are meant to give you alternative hand positions to aid comfort on ling rides. I rarely use my drops to be honest. You can always put bar ends on the flat bars of a hybrid.

Most important thing is to get a bike which fits. Otherwise you can have the best bike ever and you will still have backache, etc. don't be intimidated by the bike shops....they will want to help and make a sale.

Piffpaffpoff · 08/03/2015 08:08

Another Specialized Tricross owner here - I wanted something faster than my mountain bike for road and cycle path cycling and the Tricross suits me perfectly so I shall add my voice to the 'get a cyclocross bike' campaign!

BikeRunSki · 08/03/2015 08:21

I agree that a cyocross bike of what you need. A lot of women cysts I know rideKinesis cx bikes; their frame geometry seems to work well for women (it's not just about frame size). The Specialized Dolce range is good as pp have said, but as a smaller adult, one of the largest Islabike kid's bikes might suit you.
The Luath 700, with cx tyres. Their www won't let me link but worth a look. Unfortunately they only sell direct (although do mail order) so you'd have to go to Shropshire to try one out.

ragged · 08/03/2015 08:41

If she's thinking cyclo-X then the Luath 700 could be perfect. It's not unusual for shorter women to buy & ride these nominally kid bikes. Not sure how ti compares spec wise to the other suggested here (or value for money).

BikeRunSki · 08/03/2015 09:24

I may have been known to pinch a Luath off a spectating teenager when I've iggef up mid race. I'm a bit tall for it really, at 5'8", but it's a decent bike for £500.

BikeRunSki · 08/03/2015 09:26

Thank you for link ragged.

ragged · 08/03/2015 09:38

Longer distance on the road only I would use drops, but for lots of off road I get my hybrid out (which is set up with MTB geometry). My hybrid is getting older now, so I sometimes toy with idea of getting a Beinn 29 for myself. I find the flat bars with aggressive stance MTB-style geometry more comfortable than riding drop-handlebars.

VivaLeBeaver · 08/03/2015 10:00

Must admit I'm thinking of selling my cyclocross and getting a hybrid. I tend to use my recumbent for all my longer distance rides now. In fact I haven't used the Tricross in over a year!

Thistledew · 08/03/2015 10:47

Nooo Viva don't sell your Tricross!

I have been getting into proper off-road riding on mine this winter and have had so much fun. I even went round a BMX track on it a few weeks ago when our CX ride went past one!

Mumski45 · 08/03/2015 10:56

I have this Giant women's specific cyclocross and I love it. There are two spec levels if the invite 1 looks a bit pricey.

Giant invite 1

Giant invite 2

You can always have an alternative set of tyres for proper road rides but it comes with tyres suitable for light off road paths.

slalomsuki · 08/03/2015 10:57

Another recommendation for a Luath 700 here. I use mine now that DS has moved on to a larger bike. Very light and I love the additional gears change facility.

Mumski45 · 08/03/2015 11:00

The Islabikes are fab kids bikes, my son has a Luath and it's our fourth Islabikes However for an adult who cycles regularly you might find the gears a bit limiting as there is only one chain ring.

ragged · 08/03/2015 11:56

Ooh, Giant Invite 1 is purdy. Envy

If some of these out of your price range, OP, you could look 2nd hand. I think one of our cyclo-X bikes (A Ridley something) was £1500 new but £750 2nd hand in quite good nick. It feels like it weighs ~ 3 kg.

I'm too chicken for BMX track on any bike, I only managed one lap ever. Blush DH (almost 6' tall) rides a little Halford's MTB (for age 7-11) on our BMX track. It's good enough, he doesn't exactly want to go flying.

CMOTDibbler · 08/03/2015 14:55

There are two chainrings on the Luath 700.

Ds has cx tyres and road tyres for his Luath, and its great on rough trails with the cx tyres on

Original poster
magicgirl74 · 08/03/2015 17:21

I like the look of the giant bikes ?? i think i need to try some out and the nearest bike shop to me is about 15 miles away.iv looked for second hand but they are usually to big for me or at the other end of the country and collection only ?? and i seem to notice in pictures they dont have pedals on so does that mean they have to be bought seperate? i cant believe the cost of some of the bikes £5000 ?? you could get a fairly decent car for that ??

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